Drop D tuning on a Floyd Rose

[cannibal corpse]

So I was proceeding to tune my guitar and as I start tuning the 6th string I noticed it was pitched D, I checked the bridge and it was pretty much parralel to the body, like half a degree rotating down, does that mean that I can play in Drop D tuning without modifying my bridge each time or can it ruin my guitar to play like this?

 

[antiface]

Well, Eddie Van Halen helped make the D-Tuna for the Wolfgang guitar he helped develop, which did exactly that. I've had Ibanez' for a long time, and I do exactly that: I tune the low "E" to "D", and have the fine tuner all the way out. Then, when I want to go back to "E", I just twist the fine tuner up until the "E" is in tune. It's never been an issue, but I am not a guitar expert, so I'd keep researching.

 

[cannibal corpse]

I'll wait for someone who knows if it can mess up your guitar to reply, by the way, Floyd fan?

 

[The Ozzman]

Have you tried fooling with the fine tuners? Maybe it's something with that.

Check to make sure the intonation isn't out of whack

 

[cannibal corpse]

What's intonation? Sorry complete Floyd Rose noob here.

 

[ParsonsMatt]

You can't do it with a stock Floyd Rose. Sorry. You'll have to reset the bridge entirely for Drop D.

 

[cannibal corpse]

Damn, well thanks anyway.

 

[ParsonsMatt]

That said, resetting the bridge only takes around 10-15 minutes for a minor change like going from E standard to Drop D. All you have to do is adjust the screws in the back of the guitar so that the bridge is level.

 

[cannibal corpse]

Yeah I know but I'd rather not do that in fear of me doing something wrong and screwing it up, someone said your sustain and tone will suffer if you do this, dunno if it does though, anyway I have a beginner "strat" with a humbucker which I can probably use, not better than my current guitar but does the job, it's in standard C even as we speak so it's not a problem.